News Archives
Public Health Scotland: updates
Public Health Scotland published Evaluation of the National Drug Deaths Mission: International review-level evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different treatment and support modalities as well as National report highlights progress and next steps for MAT Standards.
Drug recovery wings “ineffective”
HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ annual report, published this week, found that the widespread flow of illicit drugs remains a ‘critical threat’ to prison stability and ‘most significant threat’ to adult male prisons. Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said too little…
Forward Trust: addiction in the UK
The Forward Trust estimated that about 1.1million people across the UK are addicted to alcohol and/or illegal drugs, with drug poisoning deaths in England and Wales at their highest level. Its systematic review found there is no precise data but…
Can we learn from Scotland?
Public Health Scotland CEO Paul Johnston recommended that “we need to take action to protect health even where the evidence is not absolutely clear cut” such as with minimum unit pricing for alcohol, “we need to evaluate our policies and intensify…
Opioids and respiratory depression
University of Manchester identified that addictive fentanyl, combination opioid treatments, oxycodone and morphine are most likely to link with respiratory depression, compared to codeine, among patients treated for non-cancer pain. The researchers analysed electronic health records from 32,909 adult inpatients…
Germany: ‘shock’ rise in drug deaths
The number of drug-related deaths remains at a record high in Germany. And the victims are getting younger. Many deaths are related to new and increasingly dangerous substances such as synthetic opioids. In 2025, 2,150 people died as a result…
Gambling empire exploits Ireland
Soft2Bet, a major international gambling company, profited hundreds of millions of euros from a network of unlicensed offshore casinos that aggressively target and exploit gambling addicts worldwide. The company uses Irish remote-betting licences (granted since 2022) and payment companies in…
Could new Medicaid rules make addiction treatment harder to access?
Medicaid is a major source of coverage for people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. For many adults, it pays for therapy, psychiatric medication, addiction treatment, recovery support, and crisis care. New Medicaid work and reporting requirements add another layer…
When alcohol meets Alzheimer’s
Alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Now Texas A&M University suggests the relationship between alcohol and Alzheimer’s disease is more complicated than thought. Alcohol does not affect all Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in the…
